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Registered Member #1914
Joined: Wed Jan 07 2009, 06:50PM
Location:
Posts: 17
I'm somewhat new to all this and I would like to build a coil gun with a bank of capacitors consisting of (2x10) 200v 1500uf electrolytic. I would like to be able to charge these with a simple three pronged power cord from the wall (standard 120VAC 15 or 20A) and from what I've read, I need a boost converter to be able to do this. I have searched google for quite a while and have been unable to really find a truly helpful site on how to built a device like this. Thanks in advance for any help
Registered Member #1062
Joined: Tue Oct 16 2007, 02:01AM
Location:
Posts: 1529
Nope, you can use a voltage doubler, only needs 2 diodes and 2 capacitors. This gives ~330v out, so you need to current limit the charging, or put two capacitors in series for a total rating of 400v. What do you mean by 2x10 capacitors?20 capacitors?
Registered Member #1914
Joined: Wed Jan 07 2009, 06:50PM
Location:
Posts: 17
yeah, thats the plan. do you think thats overkill? honestly, im a little confused about the schematic you gave me and also what do you mean by current limit the charging? in the schematic, whats the a and b for and whats the symbol right after the AC input?
Registered Member #1225
Joined: Sat Jan 12 2008, 01:24AM
Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA
Posts: 2253
phinsil6 wrote ...
sorry, but that last response doesnt make much sense. 330v is fine for what i want
I'll clarify :P.
If you are using 20 paralleled capacitors, the voltage rating will be 200 volts, so if you use a voltage doubler you will need a variac to vary the voltage down enough so that it will not over charge. I ould suggest using 120v through a fullwave rectifier with current limiting, either the ac side with a small ballast, or the dc side with a LARGE low oh resistor. That should get you about 170 volts on the caps at full charge.
If you series two capacitors, and parallel ten of those strings, you can use a doubler with a current limiting diode to ensure you don't pull insane currents when charging.
What RP meant, is if you used the voltage doubler to charge 20 parallel capacitors with a voltage rating of 200 volts, you would want to somehow limit the charging current enough so that you would have enough time to switch it off before it overcharged.
Registered Member #1914
Joined: Wed Jan 07 2009, 06:50PM
Location:
Posts: 17
maybe, instead of the two capacitors, i could have ten total, two banks of five, the five in parallel and the two banks in series, with 350v(or so) 1500uf capacitors. I think that would give me more bank for my buck. so with the idea of 330v being rectified from the wall, i should have a total of 660v dumped into my coils from my capacitors. does this sound right? If so, im still a little confused about how to actually build this thing to rectify my power from the wall? (my questions earlier regarding the schematic)
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how to build boost converter?
